APPENDIX C – INFORMATION FOR THE HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED APPENDIX C – INFORMATION FOR THE HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT - 100232391 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Appendix C – Information For The Habitats Regulations Assessment APPENDIX C – INFORMATION FOR THE HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 9 2 DESCRIPTION OF WATER DISCHARGE ACTIVITIES ...................... 11 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 11 2.2 Main development site ......................................................................... 11 2.3 Cooling water system .......................................................................... 14 2.4 Fish recovery and return system ......................................................... 17 2.5 Commissioning .................................................................................... 17 2.6 Summary of source terms used for the assessment of water quality effects………………………………………………………………………………….18 3 THE HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT PROCESS ............. 21 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 21 3.2 A four-stage approach ......................................................................... 22 3.3 Stage 1 LSE Screening ....................................................................... 23 3.4 Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment ........................................................ 24 3.5 Stages 3 and 4 .................................................................................... 29 4 EUROPEAN SITE SCOPING .............................................................. 30 5 SCREENING OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS............................................ 44 5.1 Determination of LSE........................................................................... 44 5.2 Effect pathways ................................................................................... 46 5.3 Screening for LSE ............................................................................... 48 5.4 Findings of the alone Stage 1 screening exercise ............................... 70 5.5 Screening of in-combination effects ..................................................... 70 6 DESCRIPTION OF BASELINE CONDITIONS ..................................... 72 6.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 72 6.2 Coastal habitats ................................................................................... 72 6.3 Birds .................................................................................................... 79 6.4 Marine mammals ............................................................................... 125 6.5 Fish population .................................................................................. 141 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 2 | Appendix C – Information for the Habitats Regulations Assessment APPENDIX C – INFORMATION FOR THE HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 7 INFORMATION FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT: COASTAL HABITATS ......................................................................................... 146 7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 146 7.2 Conservation Objectives .................................................................... 146 7.3 Assessment of potential effects (alone) ............................................. 147 7.4 Assessment of potential effects (in-combination) .............................. 155 8 INFORMATION FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT: BIRDS ......... 158 8.2 Conservation objectives ..................................................................... 158 8.3 Summary of the outcomes of Screening ............................................ 159 8.4 Assessment of effects: Alde-Ore Estuary SPA and Ramsar site ....... 160 8.5 Assessment of effects: Benacre to East Bavents SPA ...................... 178 8.6 Assessment of effects: Minsmere-Walberswick SPA and Ramsar site ………………………………………………………………………………178 8.7 Minsmere-Walberswick Ramsar site.................................................. 181 8.8 Assessment of effects: Outer Thames Estuary SPA ......................... 181 8.9 Assessment of potential effects (in-combination) .............................. 191 9 INFORMATION FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT: MARINE MAMMALS ......................................................................................... 196 9.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 196 9.2 Conservation Objectives .................................................................... 196 9.3 Summary of the outcomes of Screening ............................................ 204 9.4 Assessment of potential effects (alone) ............................................. 204 9.5 Assessment of potential effects (in-combination) .............................. 211 9.6 Conclusions ....................................................................................... 216 10 CONCLUSION ................................................................................... 218 10.1 Background ....................................................................................... 218 10.2 LSE screening ................................................................................... 218 10.3 Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment: Coastal habitats ........................... 219 10.4 Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment: Birds ............................................ 219 10.5 Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment: Marine mammals ......................... 220 10.6 Mitigation ........................................................................................... 221 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Appendix C – Information for the Habitats Regulations Assessment | 3 APPENDIX C – INFORMATION FOR THE HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED REFERENCES ............................................................................................... 224 TABLES Table 2.1 Proposed waste streams .................................................................. 16 Table 2.2 Summary of source terms used to inform the WFD compliance assessment for the operation of the power station ........................................... 18 Table 4.1 Description of European sites scoped into the Operational WDA Shadow HRA and their qualifying interest features .......................................... 33 Table 5.1 Absolute areas exceeding the EQS/PNEC values at the surface and seabed from TRO, bromoform and hydrazine discharges (Ref. 2.2) ................ 52 Table 5.2: Pressures associated with discharges from the FRR ...................... 54 Table 5.3 Determination of European sites and habitat qualifying features where the potential for LSE exists ............................................................................... 55 Table 5.4 Determination of European sites and habitat qualifying features where the potential for LSE exists .................................................................... 61 Table 5.5 Determination of European sites and habitat qualifying features where the potential for LSE exists ............................................................................... 69 Table 6.1: Population estimates for the qualifying features of the Alde-Ore Estuary SPA, as determined at (or near) the time of citation and from the most recently available data ...................................................................................... 80 Table 6.2 Sandwich tern breeding numbers (expressed as occupied nests) and productivity at Havergate Island, 1993-2009; no breeding pairs have been recorded since 2009 ......................................................................................... 85 Table 6.3: Population estimates for the Benacre to Easton Bavents SPA breeding little tern population, as determined at citation and from the most recently available data (Ref. 6.39) .................................................................... 96 Table 6.4: Population estimates for the Minsmere-Walberswick SPA breeding little tern population, as determined at citation and from the most recently available data (Ref. 6.40) .................................................................................. 97 Table 6.5 Breeding little tern population estimates at coastal SPAs for which the Outer Thames Estuary SPA provides supporting habitat, as determined at (or near) the time of citation and designation of the SPA (bold indicates SPAs ‘screened into’ the current assessment) ......................................................... 106 Table 6.6: Breeding common tern populations at coastal SPAs for which Outer Thames Estuary SPA provides important supporting habitat (bold indicates SPAs ‘screened into’ the current assessment) ............................................... 112 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 4 | Appendix C – Information for the Habitats Regulations Assessment APPENDIX C – INFORMATION FOR THE HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Table 6.7: Distribution of red-throated diver records across the 12 VPs used in surveys from March 2011 – April 2012 (see Figure 6.1 for VP locations) ....... 120 Table 6.8: Peak and mean numbers of red-throated diver recorded at each of the 15 VPs used in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 winter